Impact damage to windshields caused by flying debris or other objects has long been a subject of thriving windshield repair industry. Over 55% of windshield cracks or breaks are typically caused by impacts in the peripheral area within 4 (four) inches (approximately 10 cm) of the exposed periphery of a windshield; that is, within a margin measured from the molding to about 4 inches into the glass area. While impact damage can vary in size and shape, impact damage proximate to glass edge nearly always result in an edge crack that is a crack running through the impact point to the edge of the glass. These cracks can be quite long, that is over 5 inches in length and can eventually travel throughout a windshield.
By contrast, those impacts occurring in the middle area of the windshield quite often result only in the limited damage known as chips or stone damage that is a bulls-eye, a star break, a circular line break or a combination of either. These types of windshield damage generally do not immediately leave a long crack, but sometimes results in later evolution of a long crack. In such cases, either instantly or very soon (minutes or at most a few hours) after impact a long crack appears running through the impact point to the edge of the glass (called an edge crack) said long crack may be 1 to 12 inches long. Exceptions are extremely rare. Cracks from the top and bottom often proceed vertically for a short distance, then turn horizontally. Virtually all cracks formed from an impact in the vulnerable area extend to the glass edge. Cracks that extend to the glass edge open wider than cracks, which don't extend to the glass edge and usually have a tendency to travel faster.
As noted, small windshield damage in both the peripheral area and the central visual area, demand attention soon after the crack or break is formed to prevent the damage from be coming extensively larger. In the windshield repair profession, a clear polymer is injected into the crack and its solvent is allowed to evaporate out to cure and cross-link. A sharp instrument is then used to cut across the top of the cured polymer to bring it into alignment with the outside surface of the windshield.
Unfortunately, due to their small size and limited visibility impairment, such small cracks are often left unattended and unrepaired by the vehicle's owners (or not taken in for repair.) As such, limited repairable windshield damage, (due to addition windshield strikes; accumulation of dirt and debris in the crack or chip; or stress forces to which the windshield is subject; and like) may grow in size to the point wherein the windshield needs to be replaced. This replacement creates an increase in costs (higher replacement costs vs. lower minor repair costs) to the consumer and their insurance carriers (who may pass such increase in costs back onto the consumer in the form of higher premiums.) Further, such possibly salvageable damaged windshields (which are otherwise considered unrecyclable) are now sent to landfills upon completion of the replacement procedure to further contribute to our environmental waste problems.
To try to address such issues, some have provided a temporary windshield repair means and methodology whereby the non-professional repairer (e.g., car owner) could apply a clear laminate cover means, comprising of clear plastic tape/film with adhesive on one side (with a corresponding pull-off tab covering the adhesive side) to the chip or crack. Once the pull-off tab is removed, the adhesive side of the tape/film is applied to the surface of the windshield covering the crack or chip. Generally, such laminate cover means may employ solvent-cured adhesive.
The limitations of such a product (in having a film covering or sandwiching the adhesive/solvent between windshield and the film) could be that such covering does not allow the solvent to fully evaporate. Such a product, when applied, generally could result in having the adhesive in a non-full cured and flexible state. As such, the film as applied would not only lack the ability to provide full adhesion of the film to the window shield but it further lack the ability to give an integral, rigid structural integrity to the film-windshield combination. Such a product could generally lack ability (e.g., rigidity) provide to help prevent the crack from getting bigger (e.g., due to stresses and strains applied to the windshield, subsequent impacts to area of the crack/chip, and alike.)
What is needed therefore is a temporary windshield repair/adhesive laminate means and methodology apparatus and means by which the owner/driver of the vehicle may apply to the small crack or chip of windshield utilizing cross-linking polymer adhesive that cures without the use of an evaporative solvent, to provide substantial cross-linking capability providing an integral, rigid substrate connection between the flexible film and windshield that substantially resists forces and subsequent impacts proximate to the chip or crack to generally prevent the chip or crack from growing in size until permanent windshield repairs can be effected.